Artifact – Antiquity – Fragment Of A Taurobolic Altar – Sacrificial Bull – Archaeology

Period: 2nd – 3rd century AD Origin: Southern Gaul or Roman Mediterranean Provenance: Brunet Collection, previously acquired before 1973 Fragment of a sculpted limestone votive altar, depicting a sacrificial bull. Despite the erosion and its fragmentary state, the iconographic reading remains clear: we can see the powerful chest, the head with its horns and a moving foreleg. These elements allow us to link this relief to the tradition of bullfighting altars, monuments linked to the sacrifice of the bull in Roman cults. Description: • Material: medium-grained limestone, old patina, eroded surface. • Shape: rectangular fragment with the start of a molding in the upper part. • Iconography: front part of a bull in relief, horns and chest leg outstretched as a sign of walking. • Style: provincial sculpture, sober and massive, characteristic of Gallo-Roman workshops. Use: Taurobolic altars were dedicated to the sacrifice of the bull, a major ritual of purification and regeneration associated with the cults of Cybele, Attis and Mithras. Erected in sanctuaries or public places, they demonstrated the piety of the sponsors and the city's connection with the divinities. The bull depicted on this fragment illustrates the power of the animal and its role in the sacred mediation between man and god. Condition: fragmentary, reattached, surface eroded but iconographically significant. Reference: comparable to the taurobolic altars preserved at Lugdunum (Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon) and Narbonne. Dimensions: • Height: 25 cm • Width: 15 cm • Depth: 13 cm ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.